Always on My Mind
by LostObsession
Summary: Post rescue, while Kate’s sitting in prison, thinking over everything that's happened, Jack is trying desperately to move on with his life, only to find it hard to forget a certain island fugitive. Jate. Epilogue posted.
1. No Way to Live

**Summary: **Post rescue, while Kate's sitting in prison, thinking over all of the things she's done, Jack is trying desperately to move on with his life, only to find it hard to forget a certain someone. Jate songfic.

**A/N: **This idea struck me late last night while I was listening to one of my CDs trying to fall asleep, and I decided to give it a try, as a sort of break from my regular writing routine. This is my first Jate fanfiction, so I hope you all enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **For the millionth time, I don't own Lost. Do you really think I'd be sitting here, writing this if I did? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to own Lost, but unfortunately it belongs instead to J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, and everyone at ABC, Touchstone Television, and Bad Robot who help to make it.

Also, the song "Wreck of the Day" doesn't belong to me either, but to the talented Anna Nalick. I'm just kind of borrowing it for the purposes of this fic.

* * *

No Way to Live

It was 2:00 in the morning, and Jack was just heading home from another long day at work. There had been a six car pile up on the highway earlier in the evening, leaving both Jack and the entire hospital staff exhausted. Even so, Jack hadn't wanted to go home.

_Driving away from the wreck of the day _

_And the light's always red in the rearview_

Home reminded him of what could have been, of what would be different if they hadn't been rescued and still lived on the island, and that's why Jack usually spent every waking moment at the hospital. The only reason he was going home tonight, or rather this morning, was because his boss was threatening to make him go on a much needed but undesired vacation if he didn't leave and try to get some sleep. In fact, his boss had still given Jack the day off tomorrow even though he had vehemently protested against it and had already agreed to go home for the night.

_Desperately close to a coffin of hope _

_I'd cheat destiny just to be near you_

Jack hated everything about going home, even the drive. It wasn't because the drive was particularly long; it was because of what he had to pass by during the drive in order to get home. The prison. The same prison where, coincidentally, Kate was staying.

_Kate_.The same Kate who Jack had spent five years with on the island. The same Kate who Jack could never get up the courage to visit, instead relying on any news brought back to him from some of his friends that did regularly visit her, like Sawyer, Sayid, and Sun. Call him a coward if you want, but for Jack, the memories were just too painful.

_And if this is giving up then I'm giving up_

_If this is giving up then I'm giving up_

Jack tried quickly to think of a different subject. The only problem was every subject he thought of reminded him, in some way, of Kate. Even the subject of the six car pile up earlier reminded Jack of Kate. There had been, in total, fifteen accident victims, and they, through some hard work and determination, had been able to save all of the victims except one- a woman who had a startling resemblance to Kate, with her green eyes and dark, wavy hair. Somehow, Jack had got it into his head that saving her meant he was saving Kate, so when the woman ultimately died from her injuries, Jack pictured Kate, not the woman, lying dead on the operating table.

_Giving up on Love _

_On Love_

It would be much worse once he reached home, Jack knew. Going home was usually hard enough because of the thoughts of Kate that plagued his mind, but tonight was going to be even worse in and of itself, what with knowing he'd be spending the whole entire day there tomorrow as well and having thoughts of the woman tormenting him.

_Driving away from the wreck of the day _

_And I'm thinking 'bout calling on Jesus_

Jack sighed heavily. He had no idea what he was going to do or how he was going make it through the whole day without going insane with thoughts of her. The only logical conclusion was that he couldn't stay in his house for the entire day. He'd have to go out.

_Cause love doesn't hurt so I know I'm not falling in love _

_I'm just falling to pieces_

Maybe he could call one of his friends to see if they could get together? Most of them lived in the area; however, a few had moved back to their old homes or stayed in Australia. A now married Charlie and Claire, along with a six-year-old Aaron and their daughter, two-year-old Marie lived in Australia, as did Bernard and Rose. Michael and a now sixteen-year-old Walt lived in New York, while Hurley lived in Florida. Sawyer, Sayid, and a happily married Jin and Sun, who had a five-year-old daughter, Maya, and a three-year-old son, Lee, still lived in Los Angeles though, not far from Jack. As for Locke and Eko, no one knew exactly where they lived.

Intent on not disturbing Jin and Sun, Jack opted for either Sawyer or Sayid, preferably the latter, and decided he'd give them both a call tomorrow, starting with Sayid. Sayid usually never had a problem meeting up with Jack at the last minute, and Jack hoped he didn't start minding now.

_And if this is giving up then I'm giving up _

_If this is giving up then I'm giving up_

Looking for a way to push his thoughts aside, Jack clicked on the radio. The song that was playing, filled with lyrics about a couple admitting their love for one another and realizing they couldn't live without each other did nothing to clear Jack's mind, and instead only filled his head with thoughts of Kate once more.

_Giving up on Love _

_On Love_

Did he love Kate? Jack knew, deep down, that the answer was yes, he loved Kate; he was just too afraid to admit it to himself. Kate was in prison. There was no way for them to be together even if he did love her. Still, didn't he owe it, both to himself and to Kate, to admit the truth?

_And maybe I'm not up for being a victim of love _

_When all my resistance will never be distance enough_

Jack suddenly understood what he'd really known all along. He knew what he had to do. It was time to do the right thing; it was time to stop pretending. Most of all, it was time to stop hiding from the truth. Because running from the truth was no way to live. Kate had taught him that.

He loved Kate. He had loved her ever since that first day on the island when she had walked out of the jungle and stitched up his back. On the island, she had saved him time and time again.

Tomorrow, instead of taking the cowardly way out like he usually would by calling one of his friends, he'd take a trip to a certain prison he was always afraid to pass by on his way home. Tomorrow, Jack would visit the one person he had to see. Tomorrow, Jack would visit Kate at last, and there was a very good chance he'd tell her that he loved her.

_Driving away from the wreck of the day _

_And its finally quiet in my head _

_Driving alone, finally on my way home _

_To the comfort of my bed_

Finally arriving home, Jack pulled off the road and into his driveway. After proceeding to park, Jack wearily climbed out of his car and grabbed his bag. Walking into his big, empty house, Jack was surprised to find he was glad to be home. While he hoped he'd be able to get some much needed sleep, Jack already knew sleep was unlikely. This time though, it wouldn't be because he was missing Kate, but because of the nervousness and anticipation he felt over seeing her for the first time in almost a year tomorrow.

And with that thought, Jack allowed a smile to softly grace his face- his first true smile in quite awhile, and then, despite Jack thinking he wouldn't be able to, he fell asleep.

_And if this is giving up then I'm giving up _

_If this is giving up then I'm giving up _

_Giving up on Love _

_On Love

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**A/N: **I really hope everyone enjoyed the story! There will be one more chapter with Kate thinking in jail, and that will most likely be it. And to everyone reading my Choices Series: I haven't discontinued it, I just wanted to try writing something new. In fact, I'm currently working on the oneshot in Jack's POV which will hopefully be uploaded by the end of this week, if not sooner!

I'd love to hear what everyone thought, so please feel free to review. Compliments, questions, criticisms, thoughts, etc. are always appreciated!

As always, thanks for reading!

LostObsession, a.k.a. Ana


	2. Thinking, Wishing, and Waiting

**Disclaimer: **Do I really have to say it again? I don't own Lost, no matter how much I might want to! I also don't own the song "One Last Breath" by Creed, which I only borrowed for this fic.

**Reviews-**

Thank you to _DragonRider8 _and _Ella Jullian_. I'm happy you both liked the first chapter, and I hope you like the second one just as much. And just to let_ DragonRider8_ know: I've decided to write that third chapter you really wanted to see!

**A/N: **Wow! I was absolutely shocked at the response I received on this story. Two reviews on the same day it was posted! Unbelievable! For me, that's a record.

Anyway, due to the response, I decided to write the second chapter (Kate's chapter) now. When I wrote it, it looked really long, so hopefully it will still be long when I type it up! Also, just a small warning to Skate lovers: Don't worry, there's no Sawyer bashing, but there's not really any Skate romance either, because it's a Jate fic! Sorry!

So, here's Kate's chapter! Enjoy!

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Thinking, Wishing, and Waiting

At two o'clock the same morning, a couple of miles away from Jack's house, Kate laid quietly on her bunk inside of her small cell, unable to sleep and staring unblinkingly at the dull, concrete ceiling, lost in thought. Kate was so engrossed in her thoughts, in fact, that she didn't even hear the sounds of the snores from her cell mates that currently surrounded her.

_Please come now I think I'm falling_

_I'm holding on to all I think is safe_

_It seems I found the road to nowhere_

_And I'm trying to escape_

She had been in prison for almost a year now- precisely eleven months, two weeks, three days, and twelve and a half hours, not counting the minutes or seconds. Kate had given up trying to count the seconds after only fifteen minutes in prison and the minutes after about thirteen hours, deciding it was pointless to do so since she was only causing herself added frustration. If she's had a calculator, maybe she would have been more willing to continue. However, there was no calculator in sight, so that was that.

_I yelled back when I heard thunder_

_But I'm down to one last breath_

_And with it let me say_

_Let me say_

During her stay in prison, Kate had learned many lessons, the most important of which was that being incarcerated was nothing remotely alike to living on the island where she had lived for five long years along with forty-something other plane crash survivors. The only thing both could be considered similar in might be company, since dealing with some of the other convicts was almost as bad as, if not worse than, being chased by the island "security system" or being held captive by the Others. Even the food on the island was better than the slop the prison chefs tried to pass off for food in the cafeteria. And at least on the island Kate hadn't had to share her living quarters with anyone else, like the three other women she was currently sharing her cell with. On the island, Kate had gotten a tent all to herself.

_Hold me now_

_I'm six feet from the edge_

_And I'm thinking_

_That maybe six feet_

_Ain't so far down_

Kate missed many things about the island, but none more so than her freedom and her friends. She would give almost anything to be back there, sitting on the beach without a care in the world, just relaxing and watching the waves crash against the shoreline. Who cared if the island had polar bears, a "security system," and the Others? It was better than here. Then again, at the moment, any place was better than here.

_I'm looking down now that it's over_

_Reflecting on all of my mistakes_

_I thought I found the road to somewhere_

_Somewhere in His grace_

But the island was where she really longed to be, since it was a place that contained so many good memories. Kate remembered talking with Jack as they walked through the jungle toward the hatch or the caves. She remembered planting seeds in the garden with Sun. Listening to Charlie as he played his guitar down the beach. Sitting, with Jack, by one of the many fires under the stars.

_I cried out heaven save me_

_But I'm down to one last breath_

_And with it let me say_

_Let me say_

_Jack_. Jack, who Kate had so easily given her trust to on the island. Jack, who was the only guy, besides Tom, who Kate had actually felt safe with; the only guy who could get Kate to open up and show her true feelings. He somehow always knew just what to say to make her feel better, and he seemed to break down her heavily guarded defenses without even really trying. Around Jack, Kate felt free to be herself, but even more than that, she felt happy.

_Hold me now_

_I'm six feet from the edge_

_And I' m thinking_

_That maybe six feet_

_Ain't so far down_

Yes, there was an undeniable attraction with Sawyer too. Or there used to be. But that had been before, and Kate had long since settled things with him.

Sawyer had come to visit the first week Kate had been imprisoned, where they had talked and gotten all of their feelings out into the open. While both of them had admitted there had been something between them on the island, and Sawyer even admitted that he'd loved Kate, they made a joint decision. Sawyer and Kate had both agreed that they were better off as friends. They'd both moved on from what they had felt for one another on the island, and there were no hard feelings. Besides, both of them knew what they'd always known: Kate loved Jack. And Kate highly suspected that Sawyer had loved Ana-Lucia, at least in some way.

_Sad eyes follow me_

_But I still believe_

_There's something left for me_

Everything always seemed to come back to Jack. Kate once thought she had loved Tom, but what she had felt for Tom was nothing compared to what she felt for Jack. Kate now fully understood what she had known for quite awhile. She loved Jack.

_So please some stay with me_

'_Cause I still believe_

_There's something left for you and me_

There was only one problem. She was in prison. Jack wasn't. There was no way a relationship between them would be easy, and there was a good chance that it might not even work at all.

_For you and me_

_For you and me_

For the thousandth time, Kate couldn't help but wonder how things would have been different if she hadn't been a fugitive, but had still boarded Oceanic flight 815. If she hadn't been a fugitive, she wouldn't be in jail right now, separated from her friends and Jack. Her and Jack could have a working relationship if she hadn't been a fugitive. They would most likely be dating, maybe married already. Why did she have to make so many mistakes before the island?

_Hold me now_

Then, there was one more problem. For almost a year, Kate had been imprisoned, and it was slowly taking its toll. She hadn't been to the beach or eaten any good food for almost a year. She hadn't seen her friends in Australia, New York, and Florida or Sun and Jin's children in almost a year either. But most of all, for almost a year, Kate hadn't seen Jack. So far, during her prison stay, Jack had yet to visit. And Kate was starting to seriously doubt if he ever would.

_I'm six feet from the edge_

_And I'm thinking..._

Kate had three regular visitors: Sun, Sawyer, and Sayid, and they had all, at one time or another, slipped up about Jack's reason for not coming.

At the time of Sayid's last visit, Kate couldn't stand it anymore. She had to know why. Sayid was like Jack's best friend, and if anyone knew why Jack wasn't coming to visit her, it would be him. So, just as Sayid started talking about the mysterious whereabouts of Locke and Eko, whom Hurley was trying to find in order to plan a "Survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 Reunion," Kate interrupted him and asked the one question she desperately needed the answer to. That one question also happened to be the one question that Sayid hadn't been expecting at that particular moment, although he knew that Kate would eventually ask, so he slipped.

"It's very hard for Jack, Kate. Coming here- it's too painful for him at the moment. He's just not ready," Sayid related. Then, realizing he had said too much, Sayid shut his mouth, and the subject was dropped, to Kate's frustration. Once Sayid headed home, Kate was left to think about what he had said. Could seeing her really be that painful for Jack? Kate didn't exactly enjoy having everyone, especially all of her friends, see her locked up this way, but she had to see Jack eventually. Would it kill him to visit her just once?

_Hold me now_

_I'm six feet from the edge_

_And I'm thinking_

_That maybe six feet _

_Ain't so far down_

At Sawyer's next visit, Kate asked the question again. Unfortunately, the Southerner was even more tight-lipped about the subject than Sayid had been.

"Hell, Freckles, why should I know? If ya ask me, the good doc's just bein' stupid. He'll come 'round eventually," Sawyer told her. "Now where were we?" The subject was once again dropped, and Kate and Sawyer continued their conversation on Hurley's idea for having a sort of reunion between all of the survivors, the same reunion which Sayid had previously mentioned during his visit. Sawyer called the idea of a reunion the silliest idea he'd ever heard.

"A reunion! Well, would you fashion that! That idea took some ingenuity on Jabba's part, that did! I mean, you'd think we all went ta the same damn high school, not lived on the same damn island for five magical years!" Sawyer had proclaimed sarcastically. Kate had just continued to shake her head while trying very hard not to smile. The whole idea did seem a little outlandish and besides, how in the world was she going to be able to attend a reunion when she was stuck in jail?

_Hold me now_

_I'm six feet from the edge_

_And I'm thinking_

When Sun came to visit, Kate again broached the subject, asking the question for what she knew would most likely be the last time. Luckily for Kate, Sun was more sympathetic to her situation. However, she only gave almost as much information as Sawyer or Sayid had.

"I'm sorry, Kate. All I can tell you is Jack just needs some time. He has to figure some things out, and coming here would bring back too many memories for him right now. Just give him time, Kate. He'll come eventually. Besides that, I don't know what to tell you. It's really not my place to say."

_That maybe six feet_

_Ain't so far down_

Although she was becoming increasingly disappointed with the lack of answers, Kate respected Sun's view on the situation and didn't ask anything more, not wanting to press her friend for information Sun thought it wasn't her right to give.

So, even though Kate knew more than she had before about Jack's reason for not visiting her, she wished she had the complete answer, not just parts of it. However, it was beginning to sound as though the only person who could provide her with the complete reason was Jack himself, and unless he decided to visit sometime soon, it seemed like it was unlikely Kate was ever going to discover why. For now, all Kate could do was hope and pray that Jack figured things out enough to not find it too painful to come for a visit. Kate had given Jack time- almost a year's worth of time in which she had patiently waited for him. Now it was all up to Jack to see if he had used that time well. If he had, he'd come like Sun had said. If not? Kate guessed she would figure that out for herself when and if the time came.

_Please come now I think I'm falling_

_I'm holding on to all I think is safe_

Little did Kate know that she wouldn't have to figure anything out because she didn't have much longer to wait in order to see Jack.

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**A/N: **Well, this chapter took me quite awhile to write, so I hope everyone enjoyed it! There will be one more chapter where Kate and Jack will finally see each other after almost a year apart when Jack visits, and I'm toying with the idea of having an epilogue after that. Let me know what you think, and once again, I'd love to hear what everyone thought about the chapter, so all reviews, even ones filled with criticism (as long as it's constructive) are welcome!

As always, thanks for reading!

LostObsession, a.k.a. Ana


	3. Coming Face to Face

**Disclaimer: **Please don't make me say it again! I don't own anyone in this chapter but Keith, Sylvia, the guards, the other prisoners, and the receptionist. See either Chapter 1 or Chapter 2 for the full disclaimer!

_**Reviews-**_

Thank you to _MagicSwede1965_, _CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88_, _Kate, Foxy4ever, _and, once again, to _DragonRider8_ for their reviews!

_MagicSwede1965-_ Thank you for the compliments, Aunt Kim!

_CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88_- Thank you so much! I'm really happy you like the story and the Creed song I used last chapter! "One Last Breath" is one of my all time favorite songs by Creed, and another Creed song I love is "My Sacrifice," which I'm actually using in the next chapter. Oh, and don't worry, I have decided to write an epilogue!

_Kate- _I'm planning on writing more, so you don't have to worry!

_Foxy4ever- _I'm glad you like the story!

_DragonRider8_- Thanks for reviewing again, and I hope you like this chapter and the next one!

**A/N: **More reviews! Wow! I am so happy (and a little stunned) at the response this story is receiving. Only two chapters, and it has a total of seven reviews! Seriously, this story has gotten more reviews than some of my other stories have gotten period! I can't get over it; it's absolutely amazing! Especially since I tend to be very critical of my writing, which is most likely because I'm a fifteen-year-old that has trouble believing it's any good. That's the reason why I love receiving reviews! Reviews help to give my confidence level a big boost, and they also give me the motivation I need to continue writing stories.

So, anyway, here's the next chapter. I know I said it would be the chapter where Kate and Jack finally meet, but when I typed the whole thing up, it was really long, and I decided to separate it into two chapters. Kate and Jack do meet in this chapter, but they don't get to talk about anything until next chapter. This is just sort of the chapter where they come together. The chapter also starts with Jack first, then goes to Kate, so no one is confused. In addition, I've obviously never been locked up in prison, so the details concerning Kate might be off. For example, life in prison might not seem as hard as it should be, and for that, I apologize. However, Kate's in a low-security prison, and the set up suits the purpose of the story.

This chapter is dedicated to all of the reviewers, especially _DragonRider8_, who was the first one to tell me she wanted to see a chapter where Jack and Kate would meet. I hope everyone enjoys it!

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Coming Face to Face

Jack awoke in the morning, startled, to the harsh sound of his alarm clock beeping at 5:00 a.m., the usual time he got up to get ready for work. Groaning, he reached out a hand toward the bedside table, and, after fumbling for a few seconds, finally found the device and savagely hit the off button.

As he was about to get out of bed, Jack suddenly remembered that he had the day off. 'I must have forgotten to change the alarm,' he thought, which wasn't too surprising considering how tired he had been the night before. Or was it this morning? Sighing, Jack shook his head, rolled over, and went back to the best sleep he'd gotten in almost a year, even if he had only been sleeping for approximately three hours.

It was almost five hours later when Jack next opened his eyes, this time feeling refreshed and ready to face the day. It felt weird not having to be at work, but it was also strangely relaxing. After getting up, taking a quick shower, and dressing, Jack grabbed some breakfast and headed out into his living room, his mind fully focused on what he was planning to do today.

Although Jack felt excited about seeing Kate, he was also slightly nervous. What if he had waited too long? What if Kate had gotten tired of waiting for him? Sayid, Sun, and even Sawyer had as good as told him that Kate had asked about him and why he hadn't come to visit her. Was he really too late?

Jack finished what was left of his breakfast. Pushing the 'what ifs' aside and walking over to the answering machine that was situated next to his phone, Jack pushed the 'saved messages' button, and waited. If he was going to visit Kate, he needed some information first.

A few seconds passed, and then Sawyer's voice, recorded two weeks after Kate was imprisoned and they had all been rescued from the island, filled the air. "Well howdy there, Jack-o. Just thought ya might wanna know that Freckles is allowed ta have visitors now. Ain't that just swell?" Jack shook his head. The message didn't offer him any help, so he pressed the delete button. He had no idea why he'd even bothered to save that message. Maybe to remind himself that sooner or later he'd have to visit Kate?

Jack waited again, and this time Sayid's voice emerged. Automatically, Jack felt relieved. This message would undoubtedly offer more help. "Hello, Jack. I thought you might like to know that Kate is allowed to have visitors now. Visiting hours are from eleven a.m. to five p.m, and each visit can be no more than an hour long. There is also a lunch break for the prisoners between one p.m. and one thirty p.m., so no visitors are allowed. I know that the times aren't exactly ideal since they probably clash with your work hours, but perhaps you will be able to work something out. I am sure Kate would love to see you."

Eleven a.m. to five p.m. No more than an hour long. If he left for the prison now, he would arrive there a little before twelve. Jack scribbled the information down on a nearby piece of scrap paper and again pushed the delete button.

A robotic voice informed him that he had one more saved message, but Jack pressed the stop button. He knew the last message was just from Hurley, asking him if he knew anything about Locke or Eko's whereabouts and if he was interested in attending a reunion among all of the remaining survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. 'Not all of them,' thought Jack. There was almost no way Kate would be able to attend. After all, she was stuck in prison, and Jack doubted whether even Hurley, with his large amount of money, could find a way for Kate to be allowed to go.

Jack hadn't decided if he wanted to go to the reunion yet anyway, but from what Hurley had said, he had plenty of time to decide. Nothing had been finalized as far as Jack knew, and nothing would be until Hurley was able to track down Eko and Locke. Jack wished his millionaire friend the best of luck. Something told him those two weren't going to be easy to find. Then again, Hurley did have access to the means that would be required in order to locate both Locke and Eko, and he seemed more than determined enough to locate the both of them too.

Turning back to preparing for his visit with Kate, Jack grabbed the paper with the information on it, his car keys, his cell phone, a jacket, and his wallet. Then, after making sure he hadn't forgotten anything, Jack walked out the door, got into his car, and drove toward the prison and Kate.

An hour later, after a drive that had felt like it had lasted for an eternity, Jack's car pulled into the parking lot in front of the prison gate. It was 11:45. Just as Jack had predicted, he had arrived at the prison a little before twelve.

Parking the car in the nearest open space, Jack prepared himself for what he was about to do. Thoughts of how Kate would react plagued his mind, making him even more nervous than he already was. Would she be angry at him for not coming sooner? Upset with him for waiting until almost a year had passed to come visit her? Happy to see him? Relieved that he had finally gotten over his fears and decided to see her? Then again, maybe her reaction would be somewhere in between them all.

Another thought that bothered him was that he hadn't seen Kate in almost a year. Almost a year that she had spent behind bars, in prison. Who knew how much she had changed? Who knew how life in prison had affected her? What if she wasn't the same Kate he remembered? He was afraid she had changed, that things between them wouldn't be the same.

On the island, Kate had attempted to be so strong all of the time. It was rare when she broke down, if ever. Jack could count the number of times he had seen Kate cry on the island on one hand. There was the time when she had admitted to Jack she had killed the man she had loved, after he had questioned her about the small, toy airplane, and then there was the time, right before the first time she had ever kissed him, in the forest. And Jack had also thought that he had caught the sight of tears in her eyes after she had been held at gunpoint by the Others in the forest, where the line they weren't supposed to cross was located. But even when she had cried, Kate had never looked defeated. Confused, regretful, and frightened, maybe. Sad, definitely. In fact, the only time Jack remembered seeing her almost completely defeated was when they had been captured by the Others.

Jack also knew Kate must hate being locked up. Even on the island she hadn't liked the caves, preferring the freedom of the beach. While the beach was wide open, the caves were closed in, secluded. Kate hadn't even enjoyed being stuck in the hatch for too long. If the caves and hatch had been bad, Jack had to wonder just how much worse it must feel to be stuck in a cell smaller and more enclosed than either of them. Kate was strong, that much was true, but prison, even a low security prison like the one Kate was being held in, had a way of taking a toll on even the strongest person, or so Jack had been told. He had to wonder just how well Kate was handling being confined when she had always longed for freedom, even on an island, away from civilization.

Well, Jack guessed he would find out. He was here now. There was no turning back; it was now or never. Taking a deep breath, Jack slowly opened his car door, and, grabbing everything he would need, stepped out, shutting and locking the door behind him. Jack walked towards the gate, all the while feeling apprehensive but determined. The prison loomed in front of him. Reaching the guard stationed beside the gate, Jack politely asked where visitors were supposed to go. The guard responded with directions to the main office, where Jack would need to go to receive a visitors' pass. From there, the guard said, someone would escort him. Jack thanked the guard, and following his directions, headed off to the office.

After finding the office, receiving a pass, and signing in, Jack was asked for the name of the prisoner he would be visiting. "Kate or Katherine Austen," Jack replied.

The receptionist behind the counter nodded, and, motioning to a guard standing nearby, told Jack, "If you will just follow Keith, Mr. Shepherd, he will lead you to the visitation room." Jack nodded, and complied. Keith, a very friendly and somewhat burly man most likely in his mid-forties with amber eyes and short brown hair that was streaked with gray, led him through the halls until they came to a large white door, outside which another guard stood beside it. Once Keith and the guard conversed quietly for a few minutes, the door was opened and Keith led Jack to one of the many tables inside the large, white room.

Quickly Keith explained to Jack, "This is the visitation room used for the well-behaved prisoners who pose less of a threat. Visitation rights are a privilege they get for being good, although the more dangerous prisoners are only allowed to speak with visitors behind glass in another room. All of the prisoners are handcuffed, and there are guards posted outside all of the exits and around the inside of the room." Keith pointed the guards out. "If you need anything, or if you wish to leave early, you just let one of them know. Ms. Austen should be brought in soon." It was a lot to take in, but Jack nodded and thanked Keith, who wished him a nice visit and left.

He had made it. He was inside the prison. Now all he had to do was wait for Kate. Jack let out the breath he hadn't known he had been holding. Since there was nothing else to do, he surveyed the room. The room was entirely white, and there were only two windows. There were a couple of other visitors sitting at tables. Some, like him, appeared to be waiting for the person they had come to see, while others already had a prisoner sitting opposite them.

Suddenly, Jack was distracted from his survey of the surroundings by the sound of the door opening. A guard Jack recognized as Keith stepped into the room, and his gaze went straight to Jack, who he nodded at. It seemed as though Jack's waiting was about to come to an end. Jack barely had time to stand up before a woman in handcuffs was led into the room. A woman with dark, wavy hair and forest green eyes. A woman Jack knew right away. A woman who was none other than Kate.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the same time Jack had opened his eyes, startled, to the shrill beeping of his alarm clock...

Kate woke up early to the familiar sound of keys jingling as the door to the cell was unlocked by one of the regular prison guards. Quietly groaning, she, as well as the other women, quickly climbed from their bunks and dressed in silence. Then, Kate and the other prisoners lined up outside the cells for the mandatory daily morning head count. Once the guards were satisfied that all of the inmates were accounted for, they lined the women up into their work groups. The guard in charge of Kate's group led Kate and the nine other women she was with towards the prison library, where they would be working that day. For her part, Kate loved working in the library. It was her favorite room in the prison.

There were three buildings that made up the prison: one building housed the men prisoners, one building housed the women prisoners, and the third was the main building where the visitation rooms, main office, library, and other such facilities were located. Inside each of the two sections/buildings that the inmates lived in, there were two more sections: one for high security prisoners and another for the lower security prisoners. Unlike the high security prisoners, the lower security prisoners were allowed considerably more freedom. These freedoms included anything from being able to work, having free time, getting time outdoors, or even being allowed to have some personal items brought to them by family members or friends. Of course, the items were still thoroughly checked before the prisoners were allowed to bring them to their cells, and there were no weapons, food, drinks, drugs, or cigarettes allowed.

Fortunately for Kate, after her trial, she had been labeled as a low security prisoner, and she had continued to stay that way because of her good behavior. So far, Kate had been able to keep a relatively low profile, meaning that none of the other prisoners had any reason to dislike her. Even the guards had no problem with her. She stayed quiet and generally minded her own business, which seemed to be working since she had avoided getting into any fights and pissing anyone off.

The way Kate saw it was that she had only been sentenced to five years, and after this year came to an end, she just had to get through four more. Many of the other inmates had it a lot worse; some would be imprisoned for twenty years or even life. Kate had gotten off easy, and she was thankful for that. The prosecutors and judge had taken into account that she had been stuck on an island for five years and the circumstances of the crime. It had also helped that she had ended up with one of the best defense lawyers in the country, something she owed to her friends. After Kate had been taken into custody, all of the remaining survivors had come together and contributed whatever money they could, mostly some of the money they received from the already out of business Oceanic Air, and used the funds to hire the lawyer for Kate. She was truly grateful to them for their help, and she wasn't going to pay them back by getting herself into trouble and giving the Parole Board and whoever else a reason to add more time onto her sentence. Plus, if she kept up her good behavior, there was a chance she would be released early.

Before the prisoners were allowed out of the building to walk to and enter into the main building, they were all handcuffed. Once all of the women were cuffed, the guard led them into the main building. A few minutes were spent walking through the halls, and then, finally, the group arrived at the library. The library was a good size for a prison. Located in a spacious room on the first floor of the main prison building, it was packed with tables, chairs, lamps, and shelves and bookcases crammed full with books, a majority of which were donated. There were even some computers, although internet access was restricted and constantly monitored.

Gathering around the guard, the handcuffs were removed, and each prisoner was given a list of assignments. Kate was assigned the task of categorizing and putting away books, and, grabbing a box of new books which had just been dropped off yesterday, she quickly got to work.

Almost three hours into work, and Kate was almost done categorizing all of the new books. Apparently, a large supply had been delivered last night by a book store that was going out of business, or so the librarian told her. While many of the inmates were starting to become tired or bored, Kate didn't mind the work at all. In fact, she found the work relaxing and would give anything to spend the whole day in the library. It was comforting to see so many books, even if many of them reminded her of her friends, and Kate also liked how the work provided her with extra time to think.

The work passed rapidly, and before Kate knew it, it was ten a.m. and time for her free period. During free periods, prisoners could choose to go outside, but Kate usually liked to stay in the library and read or check her e-mail on the internet. Picking up a copy of _Watership Down_, Kate walked over to her favorite chair, the one she always sat in whenever she came to the library and the one she found to be the most comfortable, and settled in. Kate had never read _Watership Down_ before, but Sawyer had read it while they were on the island and seemed to like it. All she could remember about it was that Sawyer had said it had something to do with rabbits. Kate shrugged. It wasn't the type of book she would regularly read, but it would do for now. 'Besides, it's something to talk about with Sawyer the next time he comes to visit,' she thought, and opening the book, she began to read.

Because of the amount of time Kate often spent in the library, she had grown close with the librarian, Sylvia, an older petite woman, with graying hair pulled back into a bun and bright, blue eyes. Whenever she saw Kate was alone reading a book, Sylvia would make a point to come over and ask her what she was reading, and it was no different today.

Kate's reading was interrupted by a soft but cheery "Hello, Kate." By now, she was used to the ritual and even enjoyed it. Looking up from the book and smiling at Sylvia, Kate returned the greeting. After both had shared the usual pleasantries, Sylvia asked Kate what she was reading. As soon as Kate replied she had decided to try _Watership Down_, Sylvia smiled widely, nodding. "That was always one of my favorite books to read. It's a classic. Of course, it's a bit boring in the beginning, but once you get past the first couple of chapters, you'll find that it really is a good book," Sylvia shared. "Why did you decide to read it?"

Kate shrugged. "I'd heard of it before, and I knew it was a classic, so I wanted to see if it was any good. One of my friends has read it before too, and he mentioned it was good. I figured the next time he came to visit we could have something new to discuss," Kate answered. Sylvia smiled once again.

"Yes, that's how I choose new books to read sometimes. Well, it's been a pleasure talking to you as usual, Kate. I'm afraid I have to go now, though, since I have some more work to do. Enjoy the book. Remember, if you want to borrow it, you can. Just don't forget to bring it back next time." With that, a goodbye, and a last parting smile, Sylvia turned and walked toward the back of the library, where her office was located. Kate turned back to the book, not in any real hurry to finish it today, knowing she would most likely take Sylvia up on her offer and borrow it as she did most other times.

Four chapters in, Kate had to agree with both Sylvia and Sawyer that the book wasn't that bad. However, she could only read so much of one thing at a time, and she still had to check her e-mail. Putting the book down and resolving to read the rest later, Kate walked over to the computers. After sitting down and turning one on, Kate logged in and waited for her e-mail to load. A couple of seconds passed, and then a message that informed her that she had one new e-mail in her inbox showed up. Clicking on the message, Kate realized it was from Claire and, smiling, began to read.

_Dear Kate,_

_Just thought I'd write to say hi and ask how you are. I hope everything is well._

_Did you hear about the reunion? Hurley called us a couple of weeks ago. It seems he's having some trouble finding Eko and Locke, according to Charlie anyway. He wanted to know if either of us had heard from them, especially Charlie, what with him being as close to Eko as he was on the island. Poor guy's really set on having a one-year reunion. I guess it is a big thing, being off the island for a year. It feels like just yesterday we were back on the beach, right after the plane crashed, before everything happened. _

_Aaron's started Kindergarten. I know he's supposed to be in first grade, but I wanted him to get used to being around other children besides Sun's and Jin's. It's a lot for him to get used to, after all. He's doing remarkably well, considering. Although, he keeps asking about cars. Charlie and I are trying our best to explain why there weren't any on the island. Between him and Marie, who's giving a new meaning to the term 'terrible twos,' we have our hands full. Thank goodness for Rose and Bernard. I don't know what we'd do without them!_

_Well, I'd best be going before Marie gets into something else. At least Aaron's at Charlie's brother Liam's house, having a play date with Meghan, Charlie's niece. It gives me one less thing to worry about. Take care, Kate!_

_With love,_

_Claire, Charlie, & the kids_

Kate shook her head, still smiling. She couldn't help but laugh at Aaron's curiosity and Marie making trouble. Claire and Charlie definitely had their hands full, that was for sure. Especially with a two-year-old like Marie running around the house on top of dealing with Aaron, who spent his first five years on the island. At least Marie was only on the island for a year, and she didn't even remember it. 'I miss them so much! And I can't believe Aaron's started Kindergarten! He's getting so big!' Kate thought, remembering when she had helped to deliver him in the jungle on the island.

She wrote a hasty reply and then logged off. An hour had passed since her free period had started. It was now 11:00. She had two more hours to go until lunch. Sighing, Kate padded back to her chair and picked up _Watership Down_ once again. She might as well get some more reading done while she could. There was nothing else to do.

Time flew by in a blur, and soon, Kate had gotten so engrossed in the book that she didn't hear footsteps approaching the chair for the second time that day. "Excuse me, Miss Austen?" Startled and not recognizing the voice, Kate looked up to see a man in a guard's uniform standing in front of her. The guard was none other than Keith, the same guard Jack had met earlier.

Laying her book down, Kate stood up. "Yes?" she asked, hesitantly, trying to think of anything she might have done to warrant a visit from a guard, and during her free period, no less.

"I was told I could find you here. If you would please come with me." Keith said. At seeing Kate's questioning and wary look, Keith hastened to add, "You're not in any trouble. I'm just taking you to the visitation room. It seems you have a visitor." Kate nodded, relieved, and picking up _Watership Down _from the table beside her, allowed Keith to handcuff her. Then, she followed Keith out of the library and down the halls.

On the way to the visitation room with Keith leading her, Kate thought of who could be visiting her. Sayid came to visit every other week, and since he had visited last week, Kate wasn't due to see him again until next week. Sawyer visited every Thursday, and since today was a Tuesday, not a Thursday, it couldn't be him. So, the only other person it could be was Sun, but that didn't make any sense either. Sun called or e-mailed Kate before she came, and Kate hadn't received any calls or e-mails from her. The only call she had gotten so far this week was from Sawyer, and the only e-mails were from Claire, Sayid, and Hurley. If it wasn't Sawyer, Sayid, or Sun, her only visitors, then who could it be? Kate's curiosity rose.

All too soon, they arrived in front of the door to the visitation room. Keith nodded to the other guarded stationed outside the door, and then he told her to stay there for a moment. Keith opened the door and peered inside. A few seconds later, he motioned for her to follow him into the room, and Kate did as she was instructed.

Stepping into the room, at first glance, Kate did not recognize anyone. Keith directed her to a table she hadn't yet seen, and turning to face the direction he had specified, Kate's eyes widened in shock. She would recognize the man with short, dark hair and dark, brown eyes anywhere. It was Jack. The same Jack who haunted her dreams every night and a majority of her thoughts during the day. The same Jack who Kate had almost given up hope of ever being visited by. He was the one person she had least expected, but he was also the one person who she wanted to see the most. _Jack. _Jack had finally come.

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**A/N: **Okay, so we're on to the good part in the next chapter, which I'm planning on uploading later today! I hope everyone enjoyed this one. I know it wasn't as exciting as the next chapter will be, but it was necessary for the story. Reviews, even ones filled with criticism (please make it constructive), are appreciated, and as always, thanks for reading!

LostObsession, a.k.a. Ana


	4. Questions, Answers, & Confessions

**Disclaimer: **See Chapter 1 or Chapter 2. Also, the song "My Sacrifice" doesn't belong to me but to Creed.

_**Reviews- **_Thank you to _MagicSwede1965, DragonRider8, J. Svensson, CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88, Orlando-crazy, nikki-da-latina, _and _Ann _for their reviews!

**A/N: **I know I said that Kate & Jack would meet in the third chapter, but when I typed it up, the third chapter was really long and seemed to go better by itself, so this chapter, the fourth chapter, is actually the chapter in which Kate and Jack really finally meet. They met in the last chapter too, but we haven't gotten to the good part yet.

This chapter, like the last one, is dedicated to all of the reviewers, especially _DragonRider8_, who was the first one to tell me she wanted to see a chapter where Jack and Kate would meet and to _CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88,_ who, like me, thinks Creed is amazing. Enjoy!

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A Revealing Reunion

Kate couldn't believe Jack was standing there in front of her. For a second, she had wondered whether she was dreaming. Ever since the first week she was imprisoned, when she had waited for Jack to visit her every day, only to be disappointed when he didn't show, Kate had often had dreams of walking into the visitation room and seeing Jack standing there, waiting for her. However, she quickly pushed the thought aside as Keith nodded to Jack and her and then left the room. She wasn't dreaming. This was real.

Struggling with her thoughts and feelings, Kate tried to collect herself and walked hesitantly toward Jack. She realized with a start that she had so many questions she wanted to ask him now that he was here. Why had he come? More importantly, why had he come now, of all times? She had just started to accept that Jack wasn't going to visit her; she had just promised herself that if Jack didn't show up soon, she would give up on him and move on. Or at least try to move on. Why had he finally decided to come after all this time? It had been almost a year. Where had he been when she was scared and alone and had needed someone to talk to? Sun and Sayid had both said that it was too painful for Jack to come, that he needed to work some things out. So, why had he suddenly found it okay to see her? And what things had he needed to work out in the first place?

Jack couldn't help but stare as Kate walked slowly over to the metal table he stood beside. So far he was unable to detect any big differences, at least not in her appearance. Kate looked almost exactly as Jack remembered her. Sure, she was somewhat thinner and maybe a little more tired, but besides that, Kate looked just as beautiful to him as she had been on the island.

It seemed to take forever just for Kate to cross the small distance from the door to the table. Jack wished he could somehow see what she was thinking and know what she was feeling. He searched her eyes, hoping to find some sign of her reaction to seeing him, but apparently Kate had not lost her ability to hide her emotions when she wanted to, because he wasn't able to determine anything. Jack only hoped she wasn't too mad at him. He knew she had every right to be, but if she would just listen to what he had to say, maybe she would understand better.

At last, Kate had reached her destination, and now the only thing separating her from Jack was the small, metal table and the pair of chairs waiting to be occupied. Feeling as though he should say something, anything, Jack took a deep breath and spoke. "Kate."

Kate looked at him, glad, at least, that he had been the first to speak. "Hello, Jack," she replied softly.

_Hello my friend, we meet again_

_It's been awhile, where should we begin?_

_Feels like forever_

Jack looked away, nervous. She hadn't smiled or given any indication that she was happy to see him, but she had said hello. That had to be something, right?

There was a heavy silence, and Jack cleared his throat. "So...should we?" he asked, breaking the silence and motioning to the chairs. "I think that would be a good idea," Kate returned. Both sat down, entirely too aware of how close they were and of the awkwardness between them.

"I'd ask how you are, but I guess it's kind of obvious," Jack joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah," Kate agreed, recognizing the tactic. Typical Jack, trying to make light of a situation to cover how he was feeling. It was clear that Jack was nervous, almost as nervous as she was. Still, Kate wasn't going to help him avoid whatever he had come here to talk about.

_Within my heart are memories_

_Of perfect love that you gave to me_

_Oh, I remember_

Taking a deep breath, Jack tried to steady his nerves, and then prepared to talk seriously. "Listen, Kate, I know you must be wondering why I'm here-" Kate quickly interrupted, starting to get fed up with dancing around the issue. She wanted answers to her questions. Truthful answers. And she wanted them now.

_When you are with me, I'm free_

_I'm careless, I believe_

"Actually, yes. I am wondering why you're here, Jack. Do you know it's been almost a year since I've been here? You haven't visited, you haven't called, and you haven't written. In fact, you've made no effort to contact me until today. So, what's changed, Jack? Would you mind telling me why you're suddenly ready to see me?" Kate said, voice steadily rising.

Jack made a move to speak, but Kate cut him off. "I'm sorry if I seem a little frustrated and angry here, Jack, but you have to understand. I spent almost a year waiting for you to visit me. I would wake up in the morning and hope that today would be the day you would finally come, only to be disappointed when you didn't show up. And everyday would be the same, Jack. I'd wait for you, you wouldn't come, and I'd be left alone. Finally, I just started to give up and accept the fact that you weren't coming. And then, just when I'm beginning to stop hoping you would come, you decide to show up. So tell me, Jack, why are you here? Why now, after you've waited for almost a year, did you decide to come? What's changed, Jack? Please, just tell me what's changed." Kate's voice broke at the end, tears gathered in her eyes, and she looked away, not wanting to see Jack's face as the words sunk in. She knew he probably had no idea how much he'd hurt her, and she also knew that Jack had not intended on hurting her in the first place. But he had, and that was what mattered. Jack had hurt her. Maybe not intentionally, but he had hurt her all the same.

_Above all the others we'll fly_

_This brings tears to my eyes_

_My sacrifice_

Jack closed his eyes, trying to block out the sight of tears in Kate's eyes and the hurt that had shown on her face. He hadn't known how much pain he had caused her by not coming sooner. Not even what Sayid, Sun, and Sawyer had told him could of prepared him for this. None of them had given Jack any reason to suspect that his actions had caused Kate so much pain.

'I'm such a stupid idiot!' Jack berated himself. 'I knew I should have come sooner! Now look what I've done!' he thought. 'If only I hadn't been such a coward!'

Kate probably thought he hadn't come because he didn't want to see her. Jack could only imagine what she must be feeling. Why hadn't he visited her sooner? His reasons seemed so foolish and pathetic now. How was he going to explain? How was he going to make Kate understand that he had never meant to hurt her?

_We've seen our share of ups and downs_

_Oh how quickly life can turn around_

_In an instant_

Gathering his courage, Jack began, his voice thick with barely contained emotion. "I'm sorry Kate. I know I should have come sooner, and I don't really have any excuse. It was never my intention to hurt you."

Kate looked at Jack. She was no longer angry; she just wanted him to explain, so she could try and understand his reasoning, his thoughts. "I know you never meant to hurt me, Jack," Kate told him, looking into his eyes. Her statement seemed to relieve some of his fears, and he looked a little less troubled. "I just want to understand why." Jack glanced away and sighed.

_If feels so good to reunite_

_Within yourself and within your mind_

_Let's find peace there_

"It's stupid. At the time, it made sense, but now..." Jack trailed off, guilty and frustrated with himself while Kate looked on, commiserating with him.

"It can't be that stupid," Kate replied. Jack looked at her, questioning. "Well, it kept you from visiting me for almost a year, didn't it?"

"I guess," Jack admitted. "Still, it seems stupid now."

"Just tell me, Jack. You know I won't judge you or anything. I promise," Kate countered. Jack hesitated and then nodded. "Alright. I do owe you an explanation."

_When you are with me, I'm free_

_I'm careless, I believe_

"I just kept thinking of everything we had on the island, of what could have been if we hadn't been rescued or if-" Kate interrupted. "If I wasn't in prison," she finished. Jack nodded and continued. "And I knew that once I saw you, I'd have to face all of the memories and possibilities. For awhile, I was too afraid of having to face you, so..." Jack looked away, ashamed.

"So, you avoided it altogether?" Kate supplied. Jack nodded. "Pretty much." He looked back at her. "I know, I'm an idiot. You must think I'm a coward," he stated.

"I don't know about an idiot, but you're not a coward. Everyone is afraid of facing something sometime, Jack, even you. Being afraid of one thing doesn't make you a coward. Now, if you were afraid of everything...then, you could say you were a coward," said Kate with a hint of a smile. She thought of how all of the survivors had looked to Jack to lead them on the island. Kate had to admit that even she had counted on Jack at first. He had seemed to be the most logical leader, what with him being the only doctor on the island. They had all considered Jack to be their fearless leader, their savior, the one person on the island who had all of the answers. The hero. Many of them had gone so far as to believe Jack was a perfect leader, an all-around good guy.

_Above all the others we'll fly_

_This brings tears to my eyes_

_My sacrifice_

Kate was one of the few people who, after awhile, had seen and understood Jack for what he really was: a human being. Jack didn't have all of the answers. He wasn't fearless. Was Jack a good guy? Yes. Was he perfect? No. Jack made mistakes just like the rest of them. Besides, Kate doubted whether anyone was really completely perfect anyway. However, just because Jack wasn't perfect, or didn't have all of the answers, or wasn't fearless, didn't mean he wasn't a hero. Because in Kate's mind, in all of the survivors' minds, Jack was and would forever remain a hero. Without him, they probably never would have survived for five years on the island. He had given them guidance and tried to keep them safe. Sure, he couldn't save or protect everybody, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he had tried.

_I just want to say hello again_

_I just want to say hello again_

Jack had tried so hard to keep everyone safe, to save everyone. Kate remembered how Jack blamed himself for not saving Joanna, the woman that had drowned during their first week on the island. He had been so upset, so mad at himself. Then, when Boone had died, Jack had been even angrier. He had thought he should have been able to save Boone, that there should have been something more he could have done. In fact, Jack had been so torn up over Boone's death, he had refused to rest even though he was exhausted. Kate was so worried about him she had slipped sleeping pills into his drink. She remembered Jack hadn't been too happy about that.

_When you are with me, I'm free_

_I'm careless, I believe_

Kate's thoughts were interrupted by Jack talking. "Well, I'm glad you don't think I'm a coward." He looked more relieved. "I still shouldn't have avoided you, though. I really am sorry, Kate." Jack gave her a half smile, looking somewhat sheepish.

"I forgive you, Jack. I understand why you didn't come. Actually, I've been having a lot of the same thoughts lately, about what could have been. I could see why you might want to avoid some memories," Kate acknowledged.

_Above all the others we'll fly_

_This brings tears to my eyes_

"Thank you for understanding. I was worried that you wouldn't," Jack replied. The awkwardness had returned, and there was a long silence.

"I still don't understand one thing, Jack," Kate started, breaking the silence. Jack looked at her questioningly. "If you never came to visit before because you wanted to avoid the memories, then you must have somehow gotten past your fear of confronting everything since you're here. So, how did you do it?" she asked.

And Jack began, "Well, it started last night, or more this morning..." He told Kate about working at the hospital, the six car pile up, the woman with the striking resemblance to her. "She could have been your twin, Kate. I tried so hard to save her, but her injuries were just too serious, and when she died...I swear, it was like I saw you there, on that operating table. It was like I was looking at you dead. And...I don't know. The whole thing kind of made me realize that it was stupid, not seeing you, because that woman could have been you, and then I would never have gotten to explain to you or tell you..."

'_Cause when you are with me, I'm free_

_I'm careless, I believe_

Kate wanted to ask what he would never have gotten to tell her, but he had already moved on, telling her about how he had driven home and passed by the prison, how he had thought about the times they had shared on the island, the memories. And then Jack was sharing how he had suddenly decided that he was being stupid, that he needed to face his fears, to stop being a coward, to visit her. "And I knew I had to tell you, to let you know, before something happens to you like what happened to that woman, because life's too short and if I didn't, I would regret it for the rest of my life..." Jack paused, and Kate looked at him. "Tell me what, Jack?"

Jack locked eyes with her, and then he spoke the four words Kate most wanted to hear and would never forget. "I love you, Kate."

_Above all the others we'll fly_

_This brings tears to my eyes_

Tears flooded Kate's eyes, and for a moment Jack was terrified he had upset her and she didn't feel the same way. That was, until, a huge smile lit up Kate's face. She stood up quickly, and Jack was on his feet in an instant, still concerned she was going to run. (Although Jack couldn't imagine why she would run after she smiled, on the other hand, she had run after kissing him for the first time and he wasn't willing to take a chance.) He was pleasantly surprised, however, when she stepped around the table and launched herself at him, catching him in a tight embrace. (**A/N:** Remember, she still has handcuffs on, but she can wrap her arms around his neck.) Jack relaxed, relieved, at least, that she hadn't rejected his confession, and he was even more surprised when Kate pulled away slightly, looked him directly in the eye, and said, quite clearly, "I love you too, Jack."

_My sacrifice_

_My sacrifice_

And that was when Jack returned Kate's smile, leaned down, and gently kissed her there, in the visitation room of the prison, in front of some twenty or so strangers consisting of other visitors, inmates, and guards, who promptly cheered, whistled, and clapped for the happy couple.

_I just want to say hello again_

_I just want to say hello again_

_My sacrifice

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_

**A/N: **I hope it wasn't too sappy! This chapter was especially difficult for me to write, knowing it was going to be the last real chapter before the epilogue, which I already have planned out in my head but I haven't written down yet. I'll probably have the epilogue done by tomorrow so I can post it before I leave to go on vacation on the 14th, this Friday. I don't know yet if I'm going to use a song in it, although I probably will if I find a good one. Anyway, I hope everyone was satisfied with the chapter, and reviews filled with constructive criticism, thoughts, compliments, questions, etc. are greatly appreciated!

As always, thanks for reading!

LostObsession, a.k.a. Ana


	5. Epilogue: A Dream Come True

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I don't own Lost or anything associated with it, including the characters. The only characters I do own in this chapter are Maya, Lee, (Sun & Jin's children) and Marie (Aaron & Claire's second child).

**_Reviews- _**Thank you to_ J. Svensson,_ _Orlando-crazy, nikki-da-latina, Foxy4ever, Draco's-Loyal-Longing, helaluvE, _and special thanks to my Aunt Kim (_MagicSwede1965) _who got me started on writing in the first place and helps me with my grammar, and to _DragonRider8, _who has truly been my number one supporter (and reviewer, besides my aunt) since day one. (_DragonRider8_: Yes, you were right. Thank you for getting me to change my mind and continue the story. I don't know about annoying, but you are definitely a good persuader.)

**A/N: **Well, here it is. The last chapter. Just thinking about it makes me feel sad! Well, I hope everyone likes the epilogue! It starts with Jack, goes to Kate, and then ends up with both. This is dedicated to all of the reviewers! Enjoy!

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Dream Come True

**The Friday after Jack's visit...**

Jack had left the prison that Tuesday, with the promise that he would visit at least twice a week. However, he had no intention of only visiting two days a week. Instead, Jack had talked with his boss about getting a two hour lunch break in exchange for working later. His boss, knowing Jack and how hard working he was, had readily agreed. Therefore, Jack would be visiting Kate every day for the next four years during his lunch break, except for the days when Sayid, Sun, or Sawyer were scheduled to visit. On those days, he'd probably call or e-mail her.

It was Friday, three days after Jack had visited Kate, and he had come home to check his messages before he traveled to the prison for his almost daily visit. Walking through the front door, Jack saw right away that the light on the answering machine was blinking. Going over to the machine and pushing the button, Jack waited, wondering who had called. Maybe it was Hurley, calling to update Jack on the reunion? But it was Sawyer's voice, not Hurley's that filled the air a few seconds later.

"Hey, Jacko. Went to see Freckles yesterday. Strange thin' was, she was actually happy. Hell, she was even smilin'. Now, I don't know what you might've done, but I have a hunch that her good mood might've had somethin' to do with you. So, whatever it was, just thought I should let ya know that it made Freckles happy. Well, got to go, hero. Oh, and doc? It's about damn time! Say hi to Freckles for me." Jack saved the message, and this time he knew why.

* * *

**Three & a half years later...**

"Jack?" Sayid's voice, accompanied by a light knock, floated through the wooden door. "Can I come in?"

"Hold on one second," replied Jack, adjusting his tie. Once he was satisfied that it looked presentable, he called back, "Okay, come on in."

The door opened to reveal his best man, already dressed in his suit and tie. "How did you get ready so fast?" questioned Jack. Sayid chuckled. "I am not the one getting married," he answered. Jack smiled ruefully.

"Having trouble?" Jack looked confused and was about to ask Sayid to clarify what he thought he was having trouble with, when Sayid glanced as his tie. Jack followed his gaze, wondering what could be wrong with it since he knew he'd just fixed it, and then he saw.

"Oh," said Jack softly, and he gave Sayid a sheepish look. Sayid laughed. "It seems you have a case of pre-wedding nerves."

Sawyer, Hurley, and Charlie chose that moment to walk into the groom's dressing room. As soon as they saw Jack's tie, they all stopped and stared.

"Um...Dude? Did you know your tie is, like, messed up?" asked Hurley, completely oblivious. "Yeah, mate," contributed Charlie, "I think it's supposed to go the other way. You know, the side with the tag? Yeah, well, usually, that's facing inward."

Jack flushed. "It's not my fault if the tie hates me," he returned defensively. "I could have sworn I had it on right."

Sawyer, who had been uncharacteristically silent, snorted and spoke up. "Somethin' tells me if ya had it on right, the tag wouldn't be showin', but would, instead, be facin' inward as the VH-1 Reject over here said."

"All right, that's enough," Sayid interrupted. "I'm sure Jack has enough on his mind without worrying if his tie is on the right way," he directed toward Sawyer. To Jack he said, "Just be glad we caught it before you went out there."

"Sorry, man. We weren't trying to tease you about your tie," Hurley apologized. "Yeah. Sorry, Jack. I know how it feels like to get married. We didn't mean to make you embarrassed. If it makes you feel any better, I almost walked out of the dressing room without any trousers on at my wedding, remember?" Charlie replied.

"Speak for yourself," muttered Sawyer. "I love makin' Jacko nervous. It's my favorite pastime."

Everyone ignored him, as usual.

Hurley laughed. "I remember that, dude! That was so funny!" Hurley exclaimed, referring to Charlie's mishap at his wedding to Claire.

"I didn't bring it up just so you could make _me _embarrassed!" Charlie said, blushing. They all laughed at him, even Jack.

"If ya didn't wanna be embarrassed, then ya shouldn't of brought it up in the first place, Tattoo," countered Sawyer.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but he has a point," Sayid pointed out to Charlie, who sighed. "I guess," he admitted. Sawyer looked pleased.

"Well, now that's settled, someone should help the doc fix his tie. Wouldn't want the groom lookin' like a fool now, would we?" suggested Sawyer.

Sayid nodded. "That's a good idea." Crossing to Jack, Sayid redid his tie. Looking over his work, he pronounced Jack ready to go. "Much better."

Jack grinned, still a little flustered. "Thanks."

There was a knock on the door, and after Jack called, "Come in," Claire, one of Kate's bridesmaids, poked her head in. "Just wanted to let you all know that you have ten minutes until you have to be at the altar." Jack and the rest of the men, with the exception of Hurley, nodded. Hurley had politely declined Jack's offer of being a groomsman, saying it would be weird for the groom to have a best man and three groomsmen, while the bride only had a matron of honor and two bridesmaids.

"Charlie Pace!" Claire scolded, spotting sight of her husband. "Why aren't you dressed yet? There's only ten minutes left until the ceremony begins, you know!" Charlie immediately set about pleasing her. "Sorry, luv," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll go change now." Nodding to Jack, Charlie headed off to one of the other dressing rooms that the groomsmen were using.

Claire shook her head, still ranting about Charlie and his laziness, when she noticed Sawyer wasn't changed either. "And you!" she cried, turning to him. "What's your excuse? Why aren't you changed yet?"

Sawyer, realizing there was no way to get out of this one, quickly decided that Charlie had the right approach. Claire was obviously not standing for any excuses today since she was in a mood, and Sawyer wisely replied, "Now, don't get your panties in a twist, Mamacita. I was just leaving to go change." With that, he was gone, taking the same route Charlie had just minutes ago.

"Men!" Claire muttered. Then, smiling to Hurley and Jack and Sayid, who were already dressed, she left the room.

"Whew! Dude, that was close! I thought she was gonna crucify me, and I don't even need to get dressed!" Hurley said, relieved. "Yes," Sayid agreed.

* * *

"Kate? Do you need any help?" asked Sun, her matron of honor, from outside the bride's dressing room. There was no answer. "Kate?" Sun repeated. Just as she was about to open the door, it opened on its own, startling Sun. She was met with the sight of Kate standing there in her wedding dress. The dress was traditional white, simple but elegant. It was off the shoulder and clung tightly to Kate, showing off her curves until it flared out at the bottom. There was also a slit on one side that ended just above the knee. Kate had decided to keep her hair down, and it flowed in soft, dark waves over her shoulders. Sun smiled. "You look beautiful." 

"Thank you, Sun," Kate said, and returning the smile she asked, "Could you help me with makeup? I'd do it, but with my nerves I'd probably end up smudging it all over my face." Sun laughed. "Of course I'll do your makeup, Kate."

"Did someone say makeup?" asked Claire, just returning from the groom's dressing room. Sun smiled and nodded. "I'm going to do Kate's makeup for her."

It was then that Claire noticed Kate, standing in the doorway. "Oh, Kate. That dress is perfect for you!" she declared. "Jack's going to have a heart attack when he sees you!" Kate blushed, a little embarrassed by all of the attention. She allowed Sun and Claire to pass into the dressing room, and she followed them over to the dresser. Sun instructed her to take a seat in front of the mirror, and she complied.

"Just relax, Kate. This shouldn't take long since you don't need that much makeup," Sun told her. Claire laughed. "Are you kidding?" she asked Sun. "If you ask me, Kate doesn't need any makeup at all. She's already stunning." Sun smiled and agreed but added, "Kate wants makeup, and what the bride wants, the bride gets. It's common knowledge that you're not supposed to refuse the bride on her wedding day, right Kate?" Kate laughed and nodded. "Right, Sun."

Kate relaxed against the chair and allowed Sun to do her makeup. Meanwhile, Claire was trying to make sure that Kate had something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue, and she enlisted Kate's friend Beth, who was the other bridesmaid, to help her.

While Sun applied Kate's makeup, she occupied herself by remembering how she had come to be here. Ever since that Tuesday three and a half years ago, Jack had visited Kate almost every day, except for the days when Kate was expecting another visitor. Both of them had agreed that they would begin officially dating as soon as Kate was released from prison after four more years had passed. However, they hadn't needed to wait that long. Kate had been so surprised earlier that year when the Parole Board had granted her request to be released a year and a half early, because of her record of good behavior in prison. She had only served three and a half years in prison, and Jack and her had begun dating the very day she was released.

Six months after Kate was released, Jack had proposed to her while they were on a date, having dinner at a nice, upscale restaurant, one of the ones Kate usually hated going to. Much like the day when Jack had visited her at the prison in the visitation room, after Jack had gotten down on one knee and proposed to her, tears had gathered in Kate's eyes. Then, she had given Jack a huge smile, nodded, stood up from the table, and launched herself at him, hugging him tight. Jack had embraced her tightly back, and then, smiling widely, he had slipped the diamond and emerald ring on her finger, leaned down, and kissed her, only this time, they were in the middle of a restaurant instead of in the middle of a visitation room of a prison. Kate could still remember the cheers of the restaurant employees and other dining couples as they looked on. That had been the happiest day of her life besides maybe today and the first time Jack had visited her.

"Kate? We're done." Sun's voice interrupted her thoughts, and smiling, she opened her eyes to stare at her reflection in the mirror. Sun, true to her word, had not applied much makeup at all. She had used a light shade of eye color and just a little mascara to enhance Kate's green eyes and some light lip gloss to give her lips shine, but that was about it. Still, Kate looked beautiful.

She smiled at Sun. "Thank you." Sun nodded, replied it was nothing, and then Claire took charge.

"Beth and I were making sure you had everything. Something new is obviously the dress. Do you have something old?" she asked Kate. Kate pointed to her necklace, a gift from her father on her sixteenth birthday. It was a diamond star pendant. Claire smiled, glad to check one thing off of her list. "Okay. What about something borrowed?" Kate thought and then shook her head. "No, I don't have anything borrowed yet."

Claire and Beth seemed to be thinking, and then Beth handed Kate a pair of chandelier earrings. "Here, Kate. You can borrow my earrings." Kate was about to point out that she was already wearing earrings when Beth spoke up, sensing what her friend was about to say. "I know you're already wearing earrings, Kate, but these go better with your dress anyway." Kate sighed. Removing her earrings, which she handed to Beth, she put the chandelier ones in.

"Good," said Claire, obviously pleased. "Now we just need something blue." To her surprise, Kate spoke up. "I already have something blue, Claire," she said, pointing to her diamond and sapphire bracelet, a pre-wedding gift from Jack's mother. "That will do," said Sun.

"It looks like we're all set then," replied Beth. Claire nodded, agreeing. "We should probably get out there. I told Jack and the men to be ready in ten minutes. It's been about fifteen. I'm actually pretty surprised that no one's come to get us by now," she pointed out.

Right on time, there was a knock on the door. "Three guesses who that is," said Beth. "Come on in," called Kate.

The door opened to reveal a very flustered looking Hurley. "Sorry to bother you, but it's time," he told the women. He stopped short when he got to Kate. "Whoa. You um...You look really nice, Kate," he complimented her, blushing. Kate smiled, partly at the compliment and partly at the man's embarrassment. "Thanks, Hurley." He nodded in return and turned to go, but Kate stopped him. "How's Jack?" she asked.

"Jack?" Hurley replied. He burst out laughing. "The guy's going crazy. Seriously. He had his tie on backwards and didn't even realize it. I've never seen him so nervous!" he remarked, still chuckling. Claire giggled and readily agreed. "He did seem nervous," she told Kate. Then, she turned to Hurley. "Did my husband and Sawyer finally get dressed?"

Hurley nodded. "Yeah. All of the guys are dressed and ready," he assured her. "Well, I gotta go and get a seat. See you out there. Good luck, Kate and congratulations!" said Hurley, and with those parting words, he left.

"Shall we?" asked Claire, and once everyone had completed last minute checks of their dresses and Kate grabbed her bouquet of white and stargazer lilies and white roses, all four women exited the dressing room and headed toward the chapel.

* * *

The wedding was perfect, with all of the survivors of Flight 815, even the once missing Locke and Eko in attendance, as well as Jack's mother and Kate's father. First to come down the aisle were Marie and Maya, the two flower girls. Close behind them was Beth, and then Claire. Charlie looked on in wonder as his little girl, almost an exact replica of Claire, only smaller, walked down the aisle in her cute, lavender dress, scattering rose petals and then again as his wife approached him, smiling and looking lovely in a flowing, light blue dress that brought out the color in her eyes. 

After Claire came Sun, looking elegant in a flowing, cream-colored dress, and then, it was Kate's turn. Everyone stood as the music changed and the Wedding March began to play. The doors to the chapel opened and there Kate was, being led slowly down the aisle by her father, who she hadn't thought would come. Jack's breath caught; she was beautiful. Charlie and Sayid glanced at him, afraid he would faint before Kate reached the altar.

Tears flowed freely down Kate's face as she locked eyes with Jack. It was as though no one else was in the room. Finally, they were standing in front of the altar. Jack was there to greet her, and Kate's father placed his daughter's hand in Jack's, nodding to his soon to be son-in-law. A silent promise seemed to pass between them. Then, kissing his daughter on the cheek, Kate's father sat down in the front pew.

The couple smiled at one another, and still holding hands, walked to up the small flight of steps to stand in front of the priest. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to recognize and celebrate the love of this man, Jack Shepherd, and this woman, Katherine Austen, who are to be joined in holy matrimony...If there is anyone here who can show just cause why they may not be joined, speak now or forever hold your peace." There was a pause. Jack and Kate, along with all of the other guests waited, fearful that someone would speak up and ruin the day, but no one did. So, everyone was able to let out the breaths they had been holding and breathe a collective sigh of relief, and the wedding continued.

The ceremony passed by in a blur, and all too soon, it was time for the vows. While Kate and Jack had been planning the wedding, Jack had mentioned the idea of creating their own vows to Kate, and she had agreed. Unlike when he had married Sarah, Jack felt no nervousness. In fact, he hadn't worried at all about his vows, because he knew what he was going to say. "Jack and Katherine have both decided to create and share their own vows," the priest began. Once he had finished talking, he looked at them pointedly, and they turned to face each other.

Kate went first. "Jack, I knew from the first moment that I looked into your eyes, right after our plane crashed on the island, that I felt something for you. I tried to deny it at first. I told myself we were just too different, that I was a fugitive and you were a doctor. A wonderful guy like you would never belong with me, and you deserved so much more than I could ever give you. I believed you were too good for someone like me, and that, if we got together, the only thing I would do is hurt you. But soon my feelings started to become too hard to ignore. I had already had so many bad experiences, not just with guys but in general in the past, and I didn't want to get hurt again. I didn't want to hurt anyone else again, either, especially you. You made me believe in myself again. You made me see that I'm not as bad of a person as everyone else and I seem to think I am. Most of all though, Jack, you made me feel safe, and I love you for that. You're a great guy, and I can't believe how lucky I am to be standing here with you today, ready to become your wife. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Jack." By the time she finished, everyone was crying, including Jack. Even Sawyer had tears in his eyes.

"Jack?" the priest motioned that it was his turn to share his vows. "Kate, you said you were lucky to be standing here, about to become my wife, but truth is, I'm the lucky one. I'm lucky to have such a beautiful, intelligent, determined, and amazing women like you that I am ready to spend the rest of my life with. You were always there for me on the island, whenever I needed help, putting up with my stubbornness, my pride, even my overprotectiveness. You saw me and accepted me for who I really am, not the perfect leader everyone thought I was and expected me to be. And I can't thank you enough for that. Before you, my life was plain, it lacked a real purpose. My life was my work. You gave it meaning. You saved me, Kate, and I love you for it. I love you for being you. I told you once that the things we did in the past didn't matter, that we had all died when the plane crashed, that being on the island was our chance to start over, and I meant it. No matter what, I'll always love you." Jack's vows just served to make everyone cry harder.

The priest then also recited the traditional vows and Kate and Jack said their "I Do's." Aaron, who Kate and Jack had chosen as their ring bearer, walked up to the altar with a little direction from his parents, carrying the small, satin pillow that held the rings. Both Jack and Kate took the specified rings, and Aaron walked back to his seat beside his younger sister and Hurley, who was watching both the kids. Kate and Jack exchanged their rings, repeating what the priest said, and then it was pretty much over.

"By the power invested in me, by the state of California and the Almighty God, I now pronounce you man and wife," finished the priest. Looking at Jack, he smiled and added, "You may now kiss the bride."

Jack, needing no further notice, took a step toward Kate, leaned in, and passionately kissed her. There was a round of applause and quite a few whistles from Hurley, Michael, Charlie, Sawyer, and Sayid. Finally, the new married couple separated, smiling, and the priest, also smiling, said to the guests, "Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Jack Shepherd," to which there were cheers all around.

* * *

**A/N: **So, there you have it! This officially completes the story. I could have written about their wedding reception or them having kids or something after the wedding ceremony, but that seemed like a good place to end it. Just to let everyone know: I'm not planning on writing a sequel, and Kate's father, who was mentioned in the story, is not the biological one (Wayne) but the other one, who she originally thought was her father (I can't remember his name). I hope everyone enjoyed it! 

I'm thinking of doing a kind of spinoff fic that focuses on the reunion Hurley was planning that I mentioned a couple of time over the course of the story. I'd love to know what everyone thinks of the idea, and if I do decide to write it, it will definitely have some Jate (It will take place while Kate is still in prison, so you'll have to see how I'm going to incorporate the couple.) and PB&J.

Thank you to everyone that has reviewed and/or read the story! It's a pleasure to know that my story is being enjoyed!

Until next time,

LostObsession, a.k.a. Ana


	6. Notice

This is just a note to anyone who expressed interest in my idea to do a spin-off fic:

The spin-off fic about Hurley's "Survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 Reunion" has officially been started. It's called "The Gathering," and the prologue is now up. If you're interested, please go and check it out. It will feature pairings such as Jate, Chaire (CC or PB&J), and Sin (Sun/Jin).

Thanks,

LostObsession


End file.
